An attempt at tearing the seams of language and culture to tailor a fairer fit.

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Link: Reflections on the AMA Decision (Downey Obesity Report)

Can’t say I agree on all points, but I think this is worth the read as he is trying to fairly address many of the concerns. And I agree with some of his points, such as those he makes about stigma (although I am wondering where he got the idea that obesity has been stigmatized for so long?)

Still, I’m pretty much in this camp:

Okay, maybe I’m in fact the leader of that camp and the creator of its campy message, by using a picture of a 25,000ish year old booby goddess statue I pulled of Wikipedia. And I’m sorry if it comes off as racist. I had thought that it might when I created it, though I don’t mean for it to be negative in any way.

Anyway, you get the point.

Ed to add this from the man who runs the DOR: “The Wikipedia entry for obesity can give you a start. Hippocrates talked about it and the Greeks had a dramatic character with very negative characteristics. Early Christianity adopted Greek virtues of moderation, leading to cardinal sins of gluttony and sloth which became associated with obesity, up to and including Shakespeare’s Falstaff. Also see Christopher E. Forth, The Qualities of Fat, for more information. Believe you can Google for that. Hope this is helpful. Morgan Downey” Thank you, Mr. Downey for the answer. Anyone who wants to be aware of the issue as a whole should have a good understanding of where the issue started. Stigmatization has been around, in a different fashion, for a long time. An earlier link to a blog entry on Beauty Redefined, however, can help describe how we got to HERE, a state in which fat stigma is big business.